


God's Good Grace

by nerdjensen



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 1950's, 1950's AU, AU, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, Summer AU, Swearing, Violence, WIP, Work In Progress, but it will be in later chapters, destiel au, narrator - Freeform, there will be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-18 02:38:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1411894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdjensen/pseuds/nerdjensen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>California, 1953; Castiel Novak has just finished his senior year of high school, got accepted into the Harvard Law program, and is looking forward to spending his entire summer with his beautiful girlfriend Jo Harvelle and their soc friends. Things couldn't be better for Castiel until he meets Dean Winchester. Dean is a rough and tough greaser from the bad part of town that dropped out of high school and has a bad reputation in the town. Castiel had never realized what life was like on the other side of things. And he most certainly didn't expect to fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Beach- All Time Low  
>  _Everybody's living like they're crazy in love_

“Grandpa!” 

The tiny voice rang through the small cottage as rain shattered against the trees outside. The wind howled hard against the wooden walls and the sun had wondered off behind the large gray clouds. Every few minutes a bolt of light would crash somewhere in the distance, the light brightening the room, only to be followed by the crack and boom of the ever powerful thunder. The birds that frequented this harmonious house were hidden away in their own sanctuaries deep in the forest.

“Grandpa!” This time the small voice was accompanied by the silhouette of a girl along the wall. She rounded the corner and jumped into my arms.

“Hey sweetie pie.” I carried the petite 7 year old to my oversized recliner and placed her on my lap.

She tugged at my argyle sweater vest before placing her delicate hands on my cheeks and pulling my face closer to hers, my gold framed glasses sliding down the crooked bridge of my nose. “Tell me a love story! The best love story you can think of!” She let go of my face, scampering to the wooden floor.

“Rebecca, wouldn’t you rather play with your dolls? I bet your little brother wants to play.” She vigorously shook her head ‘no’, grabbing her favorite blue blanket and Star, her favorite stuffed animal which was a black and white cat.

“I’m not very good at telling love stories. But for my little Buttercup, I’ll try my best.” The small girl’s face lit up with unimaginable excitement as she sat Indian style right in front of the chair, ready for story time.

 

*********************************************************

Castiel Novak sat in the uncomfortable metal chair with his long, lanky legs and small feet tucked under the old wooden desk. The classroom was silent as the rest of the students in the room sat completely still, their eyes fixated on the analog clock on the white brick wall. 

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

As the bell rang out, permeating throughout the school, the shouting began. Papers were thrown in the air as everyone flooded into the narrow halls celebrating the end. Castiel’s senior year of high school had just ended and the summer was finally here. All he could think about was the parties and bonfires, trips to the beach and the zoo, sleeping in and hanging out with his best friends. There were papers littering the floor and banners that were painted with the words ‘1953 Senior Class’ were stung up hanging from the ceiling. He rushed to his locker through the growing crowd, passing pleasantries to anyone he knew. Shuffling books around, he packed all his extra supplies into his leather satchel and strapped it shut and pulled the books out. Someone slammed his locker shut, startling him.

“Cas! Are you coming to the big bonfire tonight?” Joanna asked as she leaned against the locker. She was of average height, her long, wavy blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. Castiel retrieved the few books in her hands to reveal her outfit. Her white top had a scandalously low neckline and was tucked into a light pink skirt that fell to her shin. She was always rebelling in this way, pushing the limits in the way she dressed.

“Of course I am, it’s the first big party of the summer!” Castiel replied excitedly, the corners of his mouth curving upwards to reveal an enormous smile. They walked down the hall to the book depot where Castiel dropped off the enormous load of books in his arms. It was not only the physical weight of the books that he had released, but the weight of the world. He was finally free to do whatever he wanted. They sauntered out of the building together, holding hands and chatting about the nights upcoming events.

He walked her home, still hand in hand. She lived just two blocks from the high school. This was the area where all of the popular kids lived. The houses were all lined with flowers and bushes, the trees trimmed, and the lawns mowed in perfect diagonal lines. Every house looked the same, with an attached double garage for the family car and storage, a porch with a wicker rocking chair, and every window was accompanied by white shutters. They walked up the short stone pathway to the door. 

“You have your dad’s car for the night, right?” Joanna asked, straightening Castiel’s navy blue cardigan. He nodded in response. “Good, than you can pick me up at seven.” Joanna wrapped her arms around Castiel’s neck and planted a quick kiss onto his lips before she scurried into the house to get ready for the party.

Castiel made the journey to his house which was just a few blocks from Joanna’s. The walk was short and peaceful allowing him to decompress and think of the year that had just passed. He had met some of the best people in his life, met a wonderful girl who was now his girlfriend, and had been accepted into the Law program at Harvard. He drifted through the front door where he pulled his shoes off and climbed the wooden staircase to his bedroom. He fell down on the bed, slowly drifting into sleep.

He awoke a few hours later when it was nearing five o’clock. He shuffled into the bathroom where he stripped his body of his clothes and entered into a steaming shower. After scrubbing off the stresses of the year, he wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to his bedroom where he pulled on a pair of khaki pants and a blue sweater; the one that Joanna loved and the one that she insisted made his baby blue eyes pop. 

Seven o’clock was approaching fast as he finished styling his hair with gel. He rushed down the stairs, grabbing the keys to his fathers black 1952 Ford Meteor. 

“Son, make sure you’re home by 1. I need the car for work in the morning.” His father was in the other room and had heard the keys jingle. Castiel turned on his heel to see the back of his father’s head as he was sitting in his favorite white chair, clutching the day’s newspaper in his hands and listening to Eddy Howard sing “ _To Think You’ve Chosen Me_ ” through the speakers of their new radio.

“Of course, father.”

Castiel made the extremely short trip to Joanna’s house, parking on the street out of respect for her father. He always worked extremely long hours and was gone for days at a time but when he was home, he preferred to park his brand new car in the driveway to impress the neighbors. The loud rap at the door let Joanna and her mother know that Castiel had arrived to pick her up.

“Hello Mrs. Harvelle, how are you this evening?” Castiel asked as she led him into the living room. 

“I’m fantastic, dear! Thanks for asking. Why don’t you grab a flop while you wait for Jo.” Mrs. Harvelle suggested. Castiel did as he was told, taking a seat on the tan couch. 

Joanna raced down the stairs, coming to a halt when she reached the landing. Her hair fell in large bouncy curls around her flushed face. She was dressed in dark wash denim capri’s and a red tank top with the bottom tied just above her belly button. She had the black cardigan that Castiel had given her to wear on their first date slung over her shoulder. 

“Cas, you look so handsome!” She made her way to him, pecking his cheek and leaving behind traces of her nude lipstick. He wiped it off as she pulled on her white Keds. 

“You look cherry baby.” This statement made Joanna flush a deep pink and a smile to spread ear to ear across her face. Castiel led her out the front door after promising Mrs. Harvelle that he would have Joanna home at a decent time. They glided to the car, hopping in, and taking the twenty minute drive to the beach where their classmates were already getting the party started.

Upon arriving, they could spot the 6 foot blazing inferno that was the bonfire on the beach. Castiel parked the car among the others, all similar is style. The couple walked down the wooden path, the sand brushed on the edges where the wind had moved it. 

“Cas, hurry over. We’re about to start the game!” Garth called upon seeing him. Castiel raced through the sand, Jo falling in step behind him. By the time they reached where Garth was standing, their shoes had been taken from their feet, the cool sand seeping between their toes.

A volleyball landed directly in front of Castiel, who picked it up and held it under his arm. “What are the teams?” He flashed a smile to his friends who were surrounding him, about 50 feet from the blazing fire. 

The murmuring began before someone shouted ‘ _battle of the sexes_ ’ above the noise. Everyone quickly agreed to teams divided by gender and made their way to the volleyball net that someone had already set up. Castiel gave a winning grin to the girls across the net, all dressed in various outfits, and walked back to serve the ball.

The game only lasted for about twenty minutes. The girls’ team had dominated in a way they boys hadn’t thought; although they were stronger, the girls were smarter and could find their weak spots and target them. It was hard for the boys to score any of the minute points that they had and most of them were from Castiel. If it was even possible for his friends to like and appreciate him anymore, they would. But they couldn’t. He was always the life of the party, the gentleman with the woman, _one of the guys._

People all around the beach had bottles of beer in their hands as they chirped excitedly about the upcoming events of summer. They were all split into smaller, more intimate groups. Castiel had his arm wrapped around Jo’s neck as he took a swig of his beer, listening intently to Garth’s story about his upcoming visit to Los Angeles. There was a collection of empty bottles littered in a single spot that was growing both upwards towards the black night sky, and outward. No one bothered to worry about trouble with the coppers. Anna Milton, a girl with fiery red hair who was more promiscuous than a playboy cover girl, had an uncle who worked for the county police department. Because of this, Anna and her friends got away with anything and everything possible. 

“And then I’ll be taking a train home.” Garth’s face flushed red as he finished his sentence, mostly because of the alcohol he had consumed throughout the night, but also because Anna had snaked her arm around his waist while pecking his cheek.

They had never been an official couple, yet Anna always showed her affection toward Garth in public. It made it hard for her to discredit any of the various rumors about her promiscuity. 

“That sounds like fun!” Jo quipped, tugging on the oversized black cardigan which was now covering her once bare shoulders. Castiel pulled her in close, wrapping his arms tightly around her as to keep her warm from the chilly lake breeze. 

The small group moved closer to the bonfire which was now small enough for them to sit around. Someone had brought along a guitar and was playing various melodies as he harmonized with his voice. The voice belonged to Adam Milligan who was a couple years younger than Castiel. No matter his age, he hung around with Castiel’s group of friends because he was on the football team –a star player too- much like many of the people he associated with.

Everyone listened intently to the beautiful sounds until Adam had stopped and wondered off to get more beer. Jo was now all but asleep at Castiel’s side, the black cardigan shielding her from the cool breeze. The stars shone bright against the deep blue sky and small, scattered dark gray clouds. Castiel and Garth chatted on about college and what they were going to do with their lives, how they planned to visit each other several times, and about their girlfriends. Across the fire from them were other couples all snuggled up to each other, kissing and laughing. 

“Hey, what hell do you think you’re doing?!” Adam had returned. He was hovering over a thin blonde and presumably her boyfriend. When he stood, he towered over Adam who was easily 5’11”. “Who do you think you are with my girlfriend?”

The taller of the two men pulled the blonde behind him. “I’m Sam. And Jess isn’t your girlfriend anymore. She broke up with you, remember?” 

“Jessica, you whore. You’re supposed to be mine!” Adam yelled, striking her across the face as she tried to stay hidden behind Sam. She let out a small yelp and she fell back into the sand. Sam let out a deep guttural growl as he pushed his long, slick, dark brown hair behind his ears.

At this, Castiel was at his feet. He had woken Jo, who he told to go home with Garth and Anna. She obliged, scurrying off with their friends after planting a kiss on Castiel’s cheek. At this point, many people began to disperse and head for home. Anna’s uncle may have been an officer, but there was nothing he could do to stop teens from getting in trouble for fighting.

“You want a piece of me Popeye?” Adam had his fists at the ready, bouncing from side-to-side as he ghost punched the air. He was ready to box.

Adam may have been more intoxicated than anyone had ever seen him before, but this was a side many people knew of, most of all Jess. His dad was a dead-beat who left when he was but a little boy leaving his mom all alone to support him. She took any extra shifts she could at the hospital just to keep a roof over his head and food in his belly. He grew up taking care of himself, something that was difficult. His anger problems made it hard for him to keep anyone close.

Sam stood his ground however he refused to fight Adam. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Sam kept repeating as he continuously checked on Jess’ face. 

That’s when it happened, when his face was turned. It only lasted about 5 seconds but it happened in slow motion for Castiel. Adam’s fist flew through the air connecting with Sam’s face, directly in his nose. Before he knew it, Castiel was in front of Adam, taking an identical fist to the face, one with more force. Castiel retaliated with his own sober punch, hitting Adam in his right temple and knocking him out cold. 

Castiel leaned down to Jess first, checking her face. There was no indication that it was going to bruise. She kept trying to say that she was ok, but Castiel wouldn’t have it. As he turned to help Sam up off the ground, he felt someone’s rough hands push him out of the way.

“Sammy!” The man was holding onto the collar of Sam’s shirt, checking his face and handing him a cloth. “Who did this to you?” Then he turned to Castiel, fear and hatred filling his piercing green eyes. “Did you do this?” He hollered, the tops of his ears and cheeks flushed with anger.

Castiel couldn’t speak. He couldn’t find words to explain what happened, only inaudible air escaped his mouth as he searched for the words he wanted to say. There were so many emotions –feelings- running through him. He thought it might be fear. His stomach turned in a way he had never felt before. 

“No.” Sam croaked, holding a dirty rag to his bleeding, broken nose. The man was so close to Castiel he could feel the heat radiating from his face. Sam pointed to Adam who was still lying motionless in the sand. 

Castiel touched his own face as he felt a sharp pang as he realized Adam’s ring had split open his cheek under his eye and his nose was also bleeding. 

“Crowley!” The man called as he was giving Castiel a dirty rag for his gushing nose. It smelt like grease, oil, and gasoline. “Take this kid here home. It’s Kate’s brat.” 

“Sure thing Dean.” A short dark haired man appeared out of no where, dragging Adam back towards the lot of cars.

“Come on,” Dean waved for Castiel to follow him, “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“But my car?” Castiel asked, muffled by the rag over his nose. 

“I’ll bring you back, I promise. My house is three blocks down the road.” 

Castiel just nodded, following Dean, and Sam who had his arm wrapped around Jess.


	2. The (After) Life of the Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The (After) Life of the Party - Fall Out Boy  
>  _I'm a stitch away from making it._  
>  _And a scar away from falling apart, apart._

“Grandpa, I’m going to blow out the candles, come on!!” Rebecca grabbed my hand, dragging me into the kitchen where candles were burning on a chocolate frosted cake. I let out a soft chuckle as she scurried into the chair closest to the cake, the 12 candles dancing in the dark. Another year older, another year brighter.

After having cake, ripping open her presents, and saying goodbye to all of her friends, Rebecca was getting ready for bed. She had on a pair of The Little Mermaid pajamas, her favorite ones, and was trying to find a book to read before bed. When I walked into the room she ran to me, hugging me tightly around the waist.

“Thanks for the princess movie grandpa! It’s my favorite!” I patted her back and told her that I’d give anything to my little buttercup. She walked over to her bed and I began tucking her in on all sides. I placed a kiss on her forehead, “Goodnight Buttercup.” 

“Wait! Grandpa, I’ve been thinking about that story you started telling me when I was younger. The one about Castiel. Did Dean ever fix his face up? And what happened to Adam? And Jo? Tell me more!” She was so excited by this that she had pulled the blanket out from around her and was sitting upright.

I laughed and nodded, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. “Now where did I leave off?”

******************************************

“You really don’t have to do this.” Castiel was still holding the greasy cloth to his nose. It was still bleeding profusely, as he held his head back to try to stop the flow.

Dean stopped his work on Jess, handing her a cloth with ice-cubes on the inside. “Yes I do.” His eyes cut through Castiel sending a shiver down his spine. 

“You really don’t. If you just take me to my car,” Castiel jumped off the counter-top, “ I can g—“ Dean placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back against the counter.

“No. You helped my brother. So I have to repay that debt now that way I don’t have to later. So get your scrawny ass back up on the counter top and let me straighten your nose.”

Castiel cocked his head to the side, starring at the man that was standing in front of him. He silently climbed back onto the wooden cabinets. Dean pulled Castiel’s hand away to reveal a crooked, bloody nose.

“It’s broken all right.” He mumbled to himself as he traced Castiel’s nose with his calloused hand. Dean pulled open a cabinet drawer and took out a wooden spoon, “Bite down on this.” 

His look of confusion made dean let out a throaty chuckle as he shoved it into his mouth between his pearly white teeth. Dean pressed his thumbs against Castiel’s nose and pushed causing his nose to straighten. He grunted at the pain, leaving teeth marks in the wood. He spit out the spoon, letting it clatter on the checkered linoleum floor. Castiel touched his nose; blood was no longer steaming from it and he immediately felt less pain. Dean quickly shoved his hand out of the way, jerking Castiel’s face to the side so he could further examine the cut on his cheek. It was deeper than he had initially realized. “You’re going to need stitches here.”

“Meg can do that! Her shift is over, she should be home any minute, right?” Sam spoke softly from the small kitchen table he was sitting at. Jess was tucked in his lap, her head nudged between his neck and shoulder. She stirred, pushing deeper into Sam’s body.

“Speak of the devil.” Dean muttered as the front door of the tiny home opened and slammed shut. “We’re in here babe.”

Meg entered the compact kitchen wearing a white nurse’s dress which hugged her waist and flowed to her shins. Her white nurse cap had been removed and set next to Castiel on the counter after which she pulled her hair down to reveal the long black waves. She left a dark red stain on Dean’s cheek where she had kissed him. “I missed you babe, but could you explain to me at what point in time the kitchen turned into my own personal hospital?” She smiled at Castiel and placed a kiss on Sam’s head while waiting for an explanation from Dean. 

“This guy here,” he pointed to the man on the counter, “saved dipshit over there,” he now pointed at Sam, “from getting his ass beat.”

“Hey! I can hold my own in a fight!” Sam exclaimed, and upon realizing how loud he was getting, clasped a hand on his mouth. He didn’t want to wake Jess.

“Sure didn’t look that way.” Castiel retorted, a smirk on his face.

Dean let out a monstrous, roaring laugh causing Sam to turn red from fury and Castiel to flush a shade of pink. Meg just shook her head at the boys. She just wanted to come home and decompress from her day at the hospital.

“Meg, would you be so kind as to stitch up his face?” Sam asked, his free hand pressed lightly against Jess’ head while the other was wrapped around her body holding her in place.

“Fine”, she let out an exasperated sigh. “But only this one time, I’m sick of fixing up strangers in my kitchen. Let me take a look at this.” She made her way over to Castiel, delicately pressing a finger along the wound. “Well, this is going to need stitches. Good job.” She turned to Dean, “Do we have any antibiotics left?”

Dean shrugged and Meg let out yet another sigh. “Let me go get my supply kit from the bathroom cabinet and I’ll get you all fixed up.” She flashed a smile in Castiel’s direction, a glare in dean’s, and left the room.

“Dean, I thought you two were fighting.” Sam questioned a curious look on his face.

“This isn’t the time to talk about it.” Dean looked at the ground.

“Well you guys are putting on a marvelous act, bravo.” Sam smirked, making his brothers ears turn red, heat radiating from his face. 

“Not. Now. Sammy.” Dean growled glaring daggers at Sam.

Meg returned with a case which resembled a fishing tackle box rather than a first aid kit. She washed her hands in the sink next to where Castiel was sitting, drying them off on a towel. 

She worked on his face, sewing in stitches. Castiel jumped at the cold, sterile needle. Meg just shook her head at him.

“Sit still.” She dropped her hands as she spoke. Castiel repeatedly pulled his face away as Meg tried to place the last stitch.

“Sorry I can’t help it.” You’ve got a sharp needle next to my eye.” Castiel explained, letting out a defeated sigh. 

“It’s ok. Last one.” She pulled the stitch through his cheek and tied it at the end. “Done.”

Castiel reached out to touch his face when Meg swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch ‘em, you’ll get an infection that way. Keep them in for about a week, then you can take them out.”

Castiel hopped off of the counter-top and upon doing so felt a rush. His head started to spin and he grabbed for it as well as the countertop. 

“You ok?” Meg asked as both she and Dean grabbed for his arms to help balance him.

“I’m fine. Just a little dizzy.” 

“You should stay here tonight so we can keep an eye on you.” Meg suggested, helping Castiel regain his balance as he tightly gripped the edge of the cold countertop.

“No, I can’t. I really do appreciate it, but I have to get my car home tonight or my father will strangle me.” Castiel sighed.

“Well there’s no way I can let you drive. You should really stay.” She was insisting now, holding on to Castiel’s arm tightly.

“I’ll take him home and stay with him.” Sam piped up. He was still pinned down to the chair by Jess. He was half-asleep himself.

“No, you stay with your girl. She’s had a rough night.” It was Dean who spoke up this time. He had remained silent after the words he had exchanged with Sam earlier. “I’ll take you home. You don’t need anyone to keep an eye on you. You’re a grown man.” 

“Ugh, you’re so frustrating Dean! Don’t listen to me, I’m only a trained nurse.” Meg tossed her hands into the air and stormed out of the kitchen. 

Dean turned from the hall Meg had just stormed through, to Castiel who was still leaning against the counter, back to the front door. “Let’s get you home.”

Dean pulled on his leather jacket that was hung by the door and Castiel followed him out the front of the house, back down the sidewalk towards the beach.

The walked silently, Castiel fiddling with his nose and brand new stitches while Dean lead the way playing with his sliding knife. 

It was a unique knife. The white pearl handle had stainless steel knuckle rings on the side, his fingers gripping the handle tightly. He kept flinging the knife downwards, the nine inch blade popping out from the top. Then he slid his thumb down the length of the handle, pushing down the lever that returned the blade to its home.

“Hey, wait up!” Castiel hollered as he realized his train of thought had made him fall far behind. Dean was pulled from his deep concentration and stopped in his tracks as the man caught up. 

“So, I never got your name.” Dean began twirling the knife on his finger, staring at the gravel path.

“Oh,” Castiel chuckled, “My apologies. My name is Castiel Novak, most people call me Cas.”

“Castiel, huh? Interesting name, but I’ll probably stick with Cas. Short, sweet, and to the point.” Dean laughed at himself, putting the knife into the inside pocket of his jacket. “My name is Dean, as you’ve probably figured out. Dean Winchester.”

“It was a brave thing you did, helping my brother when you didn’t even know him.” They were almost back to Castiel’s car, the only one left in the beach’s parking lot.

“Yeah, well I wouldn’t so much as call it brave as doing the right thing. Adam can be a bit of a pill sometimes. I was bound to knock him out some time.” He pulled the car keys from his pocket and tossed them to Dean.

Dean’s eye lit up as he stared at the beautiful black Ford Meteor that was in front of him. “This is your car?” His jaw would have fallen off if it could have.

“It’s my dad’s, actually.” 

“It’s so beautiful. I haven’t seen one of these cars in my shop yet. I can’t wait to drive it!” Dean was giddy as he pulled himself into the drivers seat and slammed the door behind him.

Castiel crawled into the passenger seat as Dean started the engine. The car purred, and he raced down the street. Castiel gave him directions to get to his house and they were there in a matter of minutes thanks to Dean’s speeding.

Dean parked the car in the driveway and shut it off. “Wow, what an awesome car.” 

“Listen, thanks for everything Dean. You didn’t need to clean me up and drive me home, but I really do appreciate it.”

“I had to repay you for saving my dumbass brother.” He stretched his hand out.

Castiel took Dean’s hand in his own; his hand tingled as they shook. 

“Have a good night Cas, take care of yourself.”

“Are you going to walk all the way back?” Castiel asked as his brow furrowed.

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful night. I’ll be fine. See ya Cas.” 

Dean walked down the driveway and then down the street. He watched the man until he disappeared in the darkness. 

Castiel made his way into the house and up to his room where he shed off his clothes and tossed himself into bed and all night he couldn’t think of a single thing better than Dean Winchester’s firm handshake.


	3. Danger Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danger Line; Avenged Sevenfold  
>  _Suffering no man should never know_  
>  Leaving my faith on the danger line

The Winchester home was nothing much; a small plot of land with a tiny house right on the outside of town in what was now a rundown neighborhood. Dean’s father, John, had bought the house with his beautiful wife Mary shortly before Dean was merely an idea and a dream. John spent many years in and out of the military with his childhood friend Bobby Singer. However, Bobby was honorably discharged after a wound to his left leg made him almost loose it. After he returned, he opened up Singer’s Salvage Yard and Shop, where he began an extensive collection of what others considered junk, and worked on cars. When John was home from war, he was working beside Bobby like they had always dreamed. In the summer of 1941, John was shipped from his home to serve in WWII. He was sent to Europe, the one place every soldier secretly prayed they wouldn't get sent to, leaving Mary home alone to care for their two young boys. In the same summer that John got deployed, Mary Winchester, at the young age of 30, was diagnosed with Pneumonia and soon passed away. John, who was stuck in Europe due to the war asked Bobby to take his boys and in return he would send any money he could. Although it was tough for Dean and Sam to grieve the death of their mother, Uncle Bobby was there for them. He taught Dean how to work on cars and which junk was actually treasure and showed Sam how to find solace in books. Sam became a bookworm, finding comfort in being transported to a different world with each page he turned.

John knew his end was near, the war was growing bloodier, more gruesome, and the fatalities hit an all-time high. On the eve of the night that John lost his life to war, he composed three letters. The first, addressed to Bobby stated that the house was to be left to his boys so they would never be homeless. The deed to the house was hidden in the bookcase in Mary’s favorite book. He thanked Bobby for everything he had done for his family, and he included a note for the bank records and transfer of the house deed. The second letter was to Dean. He told him to be brave and strong and no matter what, look out for Sammy. Something Dean already did instinctively. The last letter was to his wife. She may have left the world, but he needed to place his thoughts on paper and tell her how he felt. It simply stated, “Mary, I love you. I’ll see you soon.”

As the boys grew older, they spent more time in the house they grew up in. It was a short walk from Bobby’s house and shop so he never minded them being over there. They were more than capable of taking care of themselves. In fact, when Dean turned 15, he and his brother started living there permanently.

After Dean started seeing Meg, she moved in. Her mother was disgusted with the way Dean lived his life. After all, he was a greaser. He was a rebel and had no respect for the rules. She gave Meg an ultimatum, leave him or leave her house. Of course she chose Dean. Sam was ok with it, since he spent so much time out of the house and at school. Not to mention Meg had just started a great job down at the hospital. In the months after she had moved in, things started to turn bleak. Their home was not the same anymore. 

In this desolate house, so many months later, Dean couldn’t sleep. He tried as many things as he could to fall asleep. He drank a warm glass of milk, listened to his favorite records, worked on his model cars, and even tried to count sheep, but all these were unfulfilling in his ache to rest his wandering mind. As sun began to rise Dean was still sitting at his desk in the basement, building his little model cars with his tiny tools.

Meg was awake shortly after nine in the morning, already cleaning the house. It was a Sunday, her day off from the 12 hour shifts at the hospital and Dean’s day away from the repair shop. Dean climbed the stairs from the basement to the kitchen where Meg was hard at work scrubbing the countertops clean. Her dark hair was tied up with a red bandana. Just as well, she had done her make-up as it always was, and she was sporting her favorite shade of red lipstick. She was wearing skin tight, dark wash denim jeans and one of Dean’s old shirts that she had cut up.

“Dean, you look absolutely awful.” She stated, unamused, as he closed the door behind him. He mumbled something unintelligent and walked over to the liquor cabinet where he poured himself a glass of Whiskey. His ratty blue robe was open to show him in nothing but a pair of white boxers.

“Damnit Dean, what the hell is wrong now?” She huffed, tossing her cleaning rag onto the counter, her now free hand resting on her hip. She watched Dean swirl the light brown liquid in the clear glass before taking a sip, never once looking her in the eye. Meg bit her lip, a smile crossing her face. She laughed sarcastically, “Oh, this is going to be good.” She knew that if Dean was drinking in the morning it was something bad. Even worse that he refused to make eye contact with her.

Dean continued to stare at the floor. He swallowed what was left of his drink and poured another. The silence between the two was never louder.

“I can’t deal with you acting like this anymore Dean, you need to tell me what the hell is wrong or that’s it.” 

He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. “Meg, Sam was right with what he said the other day. This act that we keep putting on for others, it’s got to stop. We both know neither of us is happy anymore. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I laughed because something was actually funny, not just because there were people around and I needed to seem happy. We just need to en-”

“Oh, so you’re taking the easy way out now?” Meg screamed. Dean was unfazed. It’s not like this was the first time they had fought. In fact that’s the only thing they had been doing for the better part of the last several months. 

“How is this the easy way out? We’ve been together for so long Meg! What Sam said to me last night just somehow made sense. I’m not happy.” Everything he was saying was true. Nearly 2 weeks ago he had dropped Cas off and upon returning home, he had accidentally woken his brother up. And they talked the way brothers do, the way they do when there’s no one else to turn to. Sam explained how he felt when he was with Jess. The butterflies in his stomach, how he can never stop smiling around her, just how she makes him happy. Dean, unfortunately, never felt that for Meg. Not even on their best days. And it sat with dean for these 2 weeks growing in the pit of his stomach. He no longer wanted to be with Meg. This was the breaking point. 

“So now Sam is an expert on our relationship?” She argued.

“No, but I know there’s nothing here to fix. Meg, we’re done. I want you to leave my house.” Dean stated, finishing off his second drink. 

“Ya know what Dean, that’s fine. I’m gone. I’ll pack my shit and leave. But I don’t want you to come crawling back to me after you’ve slept with someone else and get your heart broken. Because this is it. I’m done with you Dean Winchester.”

Meg huffed and stormed out of the room. Within the matter of an hour she had packed up her things and left. Her mother would have no problem taking her in; she never liked Dean. Meg quietly exited the house; she had no words left for Dean. Not that he’d be able to say anything back. In that same hour, he had polished off the bottle of Whiskey and started on another. The amber liquid quickly worked it’s magic to turn Dean into a zombie who did little other than mumble at the radio and stumble around the small house until he found his place in a chair.

It wasn’t until dusk that Sam returned home with Jess. He would have never noticed that anything was out of the ordinary if it weren’t for Dean’s loud snoring, something that only occurred after hours of drinking. Sam closed the door behind him and Jess before following the breathing into the open living room. Dean was passed out in the chair, his right hand hanging over the arm rest still tightly gripped around the neck of the bottle of Whiskey while his left hand lay limp on the other side, his glass laying shattered on the floor.

Sam just shook his head in disappointment. He went into the bedroom to look for Meg, but he and her belongings were gone. 

“Jess, can you help me clean this up and then I'll walk you home, ok baby?” She just nodded that she understood and grabbed the broom and dust pan from inside the pantry. Sam grabbed the bottle of Whiskey from his brothers tight grip while Jess sweeped up the shattered glass on the floor. She emptied the dustpan into the trash as Sam put the booze on a high shelf he knew that his brother wouldn’t be able to get to for a while. 

“I’m worried about him.” Jess stated in hushed tones as she placed the broom and dustpan in their resting place. 

“Me too.” He met her at the back door where he slid Jess’s coat onto her and the left the house. Dean would have to sleep this one off before he could find out what happened.

 

***************************************

In the past two weeks Castiel has done nothing but bury his nose in books. This was nothing unusual for him. He loved to read and at a young age he was reading books far more advanced than any of the other kids. 

He finally set the book he was reading down when the door bell rang. He tossed the blanket he was wrapped in over the arm of the couch and found his way to the door. 

He should not have been surprised when he saw Joanna standing there on his front porch in another of her promiscuous dresses, but he was.

“Hey stranger.” She let planted a kiss on his cheek. “I thought we might be able to go out for a picnic.” She pulled the basket out from behind her and giggled. 

“Oh, erm,” Castiel had never been caught so far off guard. It should not be shocking to him that his girlfriend was standing in front of him, or that she wanted to go on a picnic, but he could feel panic boiling in his gut as he tried to formulate an answer. 

“Sure.” That was the only thing he could get out of his mouth in time. He slipped on a pair of shoes and followed her out the door. 

They walked along a path that eventually turned into grass. It was a field of flowers that many people on town call the flower patch. It was delicate and breezy. The smell was wonderful. They found a quiet spot near a tree to give them shade and Castiel helped set the blanket and food out. Joanna leaned in next to him as they ate their sandwiches in silence. 

“Cas, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird every since the bonfire.” Jo placed her hand on his leg, looking up into his eyes.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. Just school stuff.” 

It was a big fat lie. The reason he was isolating himself and reading all these books was beacuse he couldn’t get that damn Winchester out of his head. The worst part of it all? He had no idea why he was so focused on him. He knew he couldn’t possibly be queer. Castiel had been with girls his entire life and never once thought about a man in the same light. The worry had keep him up for days. But not anymore. Tomorrow he was to bring his father’s car down to the shop Dean works at. Castiel knew if he saw this man again he could figure out what it was about him that made him lose sleep.


End file.
